THE SUNDAY GAME panellist Oisin McConville says Sean O’Shea was entitled to attack the rebound of the penalty he saw saved by Dublin goalkeeper Evan Comerford during yesterday’s All-Ireland semi-final at Croke Park.
Kerry captain O’Shea saw an uncharacteristically tame penalty saved by Comerford in the final stages of the yesterday’s first-half, and as he swiped at the rebound with his right foot, his left foot caught Comerford in the face.
Comerford saved the penalty having delayed the game for several minutes, falling to the floor and requiring treatment before picking himself back up to save the spot kick.
There was a minor flashpoint immediately after Comerford’s double save, with players from both sides squaring up to each other, after which Eoin Murchan and Paul Geaney were booked.
O’Shea was not carded and went on to kick the stunning, 55-metre free-kick that earned Kerry a one-point win. McConville saw no issue with his attempt to play the rebound.
“When he went in for the rebound, he’s more than entitled to go for that ball”, said McConville on last night’s highlights show. “In Evan Comerford’s case: football smarts. Staying down for as long as he did, taking that time off the clock. The other thing about the penalty situation was that it seemed to ignite a fire in Dublin. There was a little bit of handbags; nobody was contributing to a melee, or anything like that. Dublin got fired up and got into Kerry’s faces, and it took something like that. I felt Dublin were very, very flat early on in the game.”
Penalty save by Evan Comerford woke Dublin out of their early slumber, says Oisín McConville @TheSundayGame #DUBvKER #rtegaa pic.twitter.com/RadYpKmO83
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) July 10, 2022
Donegal’s Michael Murphy chimed in agreement on the latter point.
“As Oisin rightly points out, Kerry were on a roll”, said Murphy. “Nothing was going Dublin’s way, and it probably took something like that. The wait definitely doesn’t help, you’re sitting around with all kinds of things going through your head. All credit to Evan Comerford, he knew the rules, you could question the integrity of [the rules] but he waited as much time as he could. Dublin even got someone on the bench to warm up to delay it that little bit longer. Sean O’Shea won’t be happy with the penalty and the execution, but he didn’t let it deter him.”
Looking ahead to the final on Sunday week, Murphy said, “Kerry will definitely be favourites but Galway have absolutely nothing to lose.”
“They were six points up and had the chance to go further ahead with the penalty”, added Cora Staunton on Kerry, “but they didn’t have that ruthless streak to go further ahead. Of course we have to give credit to Dublin, but that will be lingering in the back of their minds. There is big hope for Galway, they’ll come up and attack this All-Ireland final, Galway rarely lose All-Ireland finals and it’s a huge opportunity for them.”
Absolutely entitled to go for it. Not even debatable
@Brian Dunne: reckless challenge whether accidental or not is an offence.
@John McCabe: he got the ball John
@Brian Dunne: not the point Brian.
@Brian Dunne: And the player.
@John McCabe: Except it wasn’t reckless John.
@Neil Feirtèir: but it is Neil. Any relation to Muieann and Diarmuid? Any contact whether incidental or accidental to a player in a prone position is deemed to be a dangerous and/or reckless act.
Comerford was a disgrace after the penalty was given. You’d have been embarrassed to see that on a soccer pitch. He should be up in the Gaiety.
@Max Power: he was a disgrace all game. Before and after the penalty. Shaking the posts at the end. The man has zero class.
@Seán O’Sullivan: There should be a retro long ban for the post shaking,the rest was coaching bs..Any wonder Hawlk eye had a nervous breakdown.
@Max Power: he feigned injury to run down the clock on the black card. Started with a “leg injury” but then moved to a “head injury” so the ref had no choice but to stop play. Gamesmanship at its worse
And yes he has every right to go for that ball.
And not a word on Costello’s shoulder charge into the rib cage of a player who was in the air at the time, without the ball. Probably more dangerous than contesting a penalty rebound.
I wonder if John small did that would it be ok
@John O Reilly: why wouldn’t it? Your perfectly entitled to go for the ball when the keeper parries it out
@John O Reilly: yes. It was a 50/50 ball.
@Brian Dunne: John small was entitled to go for a shoulder on McLoughlin in the semi last year – but it was reckless and he missed and made contact with the head.. We all agree that’s a red card, why is this any different?
BTW, futherst thing from a dublin fan!
@Meatloaf: i think there is a difference. When you go flying in with a shoulder and get it wrong it is dangerous and reckless even if well intentioned. But the game is called football and your entitled to go with your feet for a 50/50 ball. I don’t think it was reckless on o sheas part. Getting the odd boot in the head is an unfortunate part of the job for a brave goalie.
@Brian Dunne: OK mayyyybe, he’s a lucky boy imo!
@Meatloaf: Seanie made clear contact with the ball.
@Meatloaf: as seamus said he got the ball. And i really think you have an obligation to get a shoulder spot on.
@Meatloaf: But John Smalls shoulder last year was perfect. Nothing wrong at all. The initial contact was perfect, it was just unfortunate for McLaughlin that his jaw was broken on the follow-through.
@Seamus Walsh: and then stood on the keepers arm and caught him in the head with his other foot
@John O Reilly: momentum token him through. What’s he to do, ballet dance his way through????
@John O Reilly: He went for the ball and was 100 percent right. Stop looking for something that isint there.
@Sumsoar Khan: Small came in from the front on McLaughlin, it’s physically impossible to have a perfect shoulder tackle from the front, it’s has to be side to side
@Brian Dunne: Brian needs an education on the rules and entitlement to kicking a ball when hands and bodies are on the floor
10 minute clock for the amount of time ball is in play will sort that out.
@Seamus Walsh: ball is barely in play for 15 minutes each half
@John O Reilly: you tell me how else they stop the feigning of injuries so??
@John O Reilly: that’s very much an exaggeration
The keeper parried the ball, o’shea was entitled to go for it….I was a keeper and that’s what u get if u fumble or parry a ball….u suck it up and take the follow through if u want to save the shot…the post shaking and bs winding down the clock on the black card was just bollix
The only player who should have seen the line in the whole penalty incident was Comerford for his play acting. The Sunday Game analysts praising it is even worse. Can you imagine the abuse they would give a soccer player for doing that?? GAA needs to get its head out of its own hole and take action against him. Joke.
@Seán O’Carroll: bahahahahahahahaha